POLICE are issuing three £10,000 fines to boat owners for organising raves on their vessels on the River Lea at Broxbourne over the festive period.

Most recently, officers were called to reports of a New Year’s Eve party boat on the river near Dobbs Weir, on Thursday 31 December.

On attendance they found around 40 people on board a boat set up for a rave, with DJ equipment, a bar and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) canisters.

A 33 year old man from east London, is being issued with a £10,000 FPN for organising and selling tickets to this illegal event. He will also receive Community Protection Warning (CPW) not to return to the area.

Before Christmas, officers were called to different vessels nearby on the River Lee on Friday 11 December and again on Sunday 13 December. They attended and dispersed more than 100 people from the scene, arresting a male who refused to cooperate.

On Thursday 17 December, local officers from the Broxbourne Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) attended the river intending to serve a closure order on the vessels involved. They entered one boat under a Section 17 order, seizing:

• 4 generators
• 4 large speakers
• 2 large amplifiers
• A large quantity of alcohol

The second craft was ordered to leave the borough of Broxbourne. Owners of both vessels, men aged 30 and 31, both from north London, are being issued with £10,000 FPNs and CPWs.

Sgt Chris Fisher, from Broxbourne Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “My team worked hard over the festive period to disperse and prevent illegal raves on board boats moored along the river.

“Even if we weren’t living through a pandemic and under strict rules not to socialise in large groups to prevent coronavirus transmission, these party boats would be illegal, representing a grave danger to anyone who attends.

“They are dangerous for attendees with no crowd control measures, medical staff or security provision on site. Currently our area has one of the highest case rates in the region, so this makes it even more important that people adhere to the rules and not mix in large groups.”

He added: “I’d appeal to everyone’s sense of decency to do the right thing and follow the clear lockdown rules now in place.”

Please inform police if you see the following:

• Social media messages advertising a large gathering
• People unloading sound equipment
• Cropped bolts on gates
• Flattened or disturbed hedgerows 
• People in vehicles stopping to look into a field
• People climbing over a fence or gate to look into a field
• Vehicles entering fields or open spaces

You can report information online, launch an online web chat or call the non-emergency number 101. If you believe a crime is in action, or someone’s life is in danger, then please always dial 999.

You can tell us what matters most to you about policing, crime or anti-social behaviour in Hertfordshire using echo.